In this episode, THE CRAZY ONES talks about less serious addictions. Andrew’s mother, we learn, was a chocoholic. Sydney is addicted to winning (I don’t think there is a term for that) except perhaps bad loser.) It is explained that she has this affliction because Simon allowed her to win all the time when she was young, even when she did not deserve to win. In a cute flashback, the young Sydney is played by Rachel Rodier in what is apparently her first TV appearance.

The agency works up a campaign for a video game MEDAL OF GLORY, which looks and sounds a bit like MEDAL OF HONOR (2010 EA Games), and the addictive nature of video games is addressed, and incorporated into the ad campaign that the agency finally devises. It is suggested (by inference) that while video games themselves are not an addiction, they engender obsessive-compulsive behavior that can lead to other sorts of addiction.

Rachel Rodier in her TV debut as the young Sydney on THE CRAZY ONES

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character in CALL OF DUTY – the breasts seem a bit enhanced

MORE HISTORICAL NOTES: Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of the characters in the Call of the Dead zombie level of CALL OF DUTY:BLACK OPS (2010 Activision) another similar game. Gellar’s character in that game featured breasts that were somewhat larger than SMG’s natural size, and this episode mocks that a bit with a scene where Sydney designs her own avatar, and breast enhancements are suggested by Zach and Andrew.

Others who have played young versions of Gellar characters are Mimi Paley, who was Little Buffy in the BTVS episode Killed By Death, Amanda and Rachel Pace who played the young Kelly twins in episode #4 of RINGER, and Darrian McClanahan, who was the young Joanna Mills in THE RETURN. (Paley also was Samantha Mulder on The X Files.)

NOTES

Zylan Brooks (left) with Robin Williams

Lenny Jacobson (Jerome) will be John Pool in the 2014 film BIPOLAR, which seems to be a modern retelling of DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE in which a patient with bipolar disorder creates a dark alter ego as a side effect of his medication. Jacobson was also Lenny in 25 episodes of NURSE JACKIE.

Steven Boyer (Squirrel) is Parker in LISTEN UP PHILLIP, a soon-to-be-released film by director Alex Ross Perry, about a New York writer and the consequences of his poor decision making.

Zylan Brooks (Jade the cosmetics exec) willl be Jade in LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS, a horror comedy which also has Gena Shaw in its cast. (Shaw was Maddie Smithfield in episode #6 of RINGER). LITTOM is about two sisters on vacation battling ‘toxic monsters’ which are dressed in bigfoot costumes.